Automobile-signal



W1 E. F; `GIBS'N A'ND l. M1; MME-S2 AUTOMOBILE SiGNAL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1919.

Emma May 18,1920

2 SHEET S-SHEE l.

W. E'. F. GIBSON ANDI. `M. JAMES.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

my. .f

I 69 l 8O 3/ UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE,

IIIIJIAIVJI` EDWARD F. GIBSON AND IDA MAY'JAMES, OF VPORT COQUITLAM, ,BR/.li'IISHy COLUMBIA, CANADA.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented MaylS, 1920.A

Applicatonled May 17, 1919. vSerial No. '297,955.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, TILLIAM EDWARD F. Grinsen and IDA MAY JAMES, citizens of the United States, residing at Port Coquitlam, Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automobile-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in signals used on automobiles or other moving vehicles to indicate the direction planned by the driver to take, either straight, or to the left, as the case may be, so as to give warning to those ahead, or at intersections or bends or turns in streets or highways, to avoid collision or danger, and the object of our invention is to provide a device for this purpose which may be readily attached to an automobile in front and rear in such positions as to be readily observed from both front and back, and which device is magnetically controlled as to its operating mechanism so that it is at all times positive 1n action and operable with great convenience and facility.

A further object is toprovide a suitable means for preventing inadvertent movement of such signals and maintaining them in normal position until their Ioperation becomes necessary. A still further object 1s to provide for the convenient and eflicient operation of audible signaling means, such as a horn, from the controlling means of the visible signals.

l/Ve accomplish these objects by the de vices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure y1 is a view in side elevation of the front signal;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the rear signal; p

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation ofthe signal mechanism;

Fig. 4l is an end view of the mechanism, one magnet leg being removed;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the wire terminal and contact arrangement;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross-,section of the switch handle taken on broken line A, B of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view showing the signals in position on an automobile; and

able mounted casing rotatable about its vertical axis, which may be of some fanciful form, such as having the outline of a bird,

. within which casing is arranged the operating mechanism and which is actuated from a suitable electrical source, such as a battery, as will be hereinafter. more fully described. As the mechanism in both -front and rear signals is similar it will be necessary to describe the front signal mechanism only.

The numeral indicates the casing, which is formed bird-shaped, which casing is provided on its lower side with a tubular' eX- tension 2 the lower end of which bears on a base plate 3 provided for the securing of the signal to the fender, the extension 2' bei ing provided with a projection f1 on its inside at its lower end adapted to cooperate with the stop member 5 on the base plate 3 so as to limit the travel of the casing as it is rotated in either direction.

Secured rigidly to the base plate 3 and centrally thereof is a vertical tubular shaft 6 the upper'end of which extends into the interior. of they casing 1 and is formed as an integral bevel pinion 7, between which shaft 6 and the wall of the tubular extension 2 are disposed ball bearings 8, as shown in Fig. 3, these being provided to insure the free rotation of the extension 2 and the casing 1 of which it forms a part.

The upper end of the extension 2 extends within the casing, being flared and provided with flanges 9 and 10 on each side of its center line, on which flanges are supported the legs 11 and 12 of a magnet 13 which magnet consists of the legs 1l and 12 and a field winding secured between them at their upper ends, this winding being hereinafter termed secured therebetween, the plate 21 being provided on its lower semi-circular edge with an integral toothed sector 23 meshing with the pinion 7. Distance pieces 24 and 25 are secured between the side plates 20.

and 21 and on the upper distance piece 24 is secured a stop member 26 adapted to engage the beveled edges 27 and 28, respectively, of the magnet 13 as the armature is rotated in either direction and for the purpose of re turning the armature to its normal central position from the signaling position springs 29 and 30 are provided, each of these springs being connected at their upper ends to lugs 11 and 12, respectively, and their lower ends are connected to the distance pieces 18 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

31 indicates an incandescent bulb supported in a suitable socket 32 mounted on the inside of one leg of the magnet 13 and disposed centrally as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to prevent inadvertent movement of the signal in a strong wind or by vibration a small magnet 33 is secured to one side of the magnet 13 on the outside of the same by any suitable means such as a bracket 34,V

the upper pole of the magnet 33 being secured to the outstanding arm 35 of the bracket 34, which arm is turned downwardly, as shown at 36 in Fig. 3, to the lower end of which downwardly turned part is hingedly connected an armature 37, this armature being supported adjacent the lower pole 38 of the magnet and normally clear of the same. The armature 37 is turned down to form a depending leg 39, the lower end of which extends through an opening in the casing 1 and normally engages a notch 40 in a transverse bridge member 41 which straddles the base plate 3 and is secured thereto by the same screws or bolts which fasten the signal ,to the fender. The space between the pole 38 and armature 37 is more than the depth of the notch 40, from which it will be apparent that when the magnet 33 is energized the armature 37 will be drawn upwardly to raise the lower end of the leg 39 out of the notch 40, thus permitting rotation of the signal, but when the magnet 33 is denergized on the return of the signal to its normal central position the leg 39 will drop and its end will rengage the notch 40 to prevent inadvertent ro tation of the signal.

The signals are operated from a suitable battery indicated by the numeral 74 in Fig. 9 and are controlled by means of a manually operated switch lever 42 mounted onA a contact plate 43, which plate may be secured to the steering column 44 adjacent the steering wheel 45, as shown in Fig. 6, or it may be secured to one of the spokes of the wheel if desired.

The contacts *for the signal operation are as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, in which the plate 43 is of non-conducting material such as hard rubber or the like. Embedded in the plate are two outer brass segments 47 and 48 separated, as shown at 49, while 50 and 51 indicate two inner segments one of which, 51, is further divided into three parts, the main part 51 and two smaller parts 52 and 53 adjacent each end, all the segments being concentric with the bolt 54 on which the lever 42 is rotatably mounted.

The switch lever 42 is provided on its underside with spring pressed contact points 55 and 56 so that when moved out of center to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, the point 55 will bridge the gap between part 52 and Qsegment 51, making contact therebetween and also with outer segment 48, while at the same time contact 56 will make contact between inner segment 50 and outer segment 47 Also when the switch lever is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 5, theV contact point 55 will make contact between inner segment 50 and outer segment 48 and contact point 56 will bridge the gap between part 53 and segment 51, making contact therebetween and also with the outer segment 47. The travel of the lever 42 in either direction is limited by upstanding pins 57 and 58, as shown in Fig. 5.

61, 62, 63, 64, and 66 indicate the con nections or terminals of the several circuit wires, for operating the device, to the respective segments; and for a better understanding of the wiring arrangement reference should be had now to the diagram shown in Fig. 9, in which 14 and 19 represent the fields and armatures of the front and rear signals, respectively, it being understood, that both signals operate simultaneously. It will be seen that armatures 19 are disposed in a circuit of which 67 indicates the wire which is connected by branch wires 68 and 69 to the terminals 61 and 62 of the outer segments 47 and 48 respectively and also that the fields 14 are disposed in a circuit of which 70 indicates the wire, and circuit 70 being connected to terminals 63 and 64 of the parts 52 and 53 by branch wires 71 and 72 and also to one terminal 73 of a battery 74 by a wire 75, the terminal 73 being named for the purpose of illustration, the negative. From wire 75 a branch wire 76 yis led to the terminal 65 of the inner segment 50 while inner segment 51 is connected to the positive terminal 77 of the battery by a wire 78 leading therefrom to terminal 66.

- 79 and 8O indicate the circuits for lighting the lamps 31 simultaneously with the operation oIp the signals. Assuming now that the signals are pointing straight ahead as shown in Fig. 8 and referringvto Figs. 5 and 9 it will be 'seen-that when the switch lever 42 is moved to the left, contact point 55 will make contact with segments 48 and 50 and also point 56 will make contact with segments 51, 53 and 47 and thus the current will flow fromthe positive terminal 77 of the battery 74 along 4wire 78, segment 51, part 53, across segment- 47 to branch wire 68 to wire 67 of the armature circuit returning through wire 62 to segment 48, across to segment 5() through contact point 55, and back to the battery through wires 76 and 75 connected to the negative terminal 73. At the same time the current also iiows from the positive terminal 77 of the battery through wire 78, segment 51, part 53 and wires 72 and 71 to the iield circuit wire 70, returning to the negative terminal 73 of the battery through wire 75.

It will be apparent that when the switch is moved to the left the field 14 of each signal will be energized by a positive current, thus magnetizing the magnet 13 and creating its opposite legs north and south poles. At the same time the armatures 19 are energized by the positive current creating the distance pieces 24 and 25 north and south poles, respectively, from which it will readily be seen that the north and south poles of the magnet will repel and attract the north and south poles of the distance pieces 24 and 25 causing it to rotate until the stop member 26 prevents further rotation, and as the sector 23 is in mesh with the fixed pinion 7 the signal will thus be swung from its normal longitudinal straight ahead position to a transverse position, being returned to its normal position when the switch is moved to mid-position by means of the .spring then in tension. On moving the switch to the'right the casing will be swung to the opposite transverse position because the current being now negative, the distance pieces 24 and 25 will now be south and north poles instead of north and south poles vas before, and the armature will be rotated in the opposite direction since the poles of the magnet remain the same.

Now, the front signal being provided with openings 79 and 80 on each side in the shape of a forwardly pointing hand and the rear signal being provided on one side with a similar hand shaped opening and on the other side with an opening closed by a white semi-transparent plate 81 having painted thereon the word Stop, the other openings being closed by similar plates and each plate being covered on its inner side with a sheet of red transparent material, as indicated at 82 yin Fig.-,4, it will be seen that when the signals are mounted on the iront and rear oi the vehicle they will indicate straight vahead when in the normal position, but they The rear signal is provided at its rear end with a red glass-covered opening 83 illuminated at night by `a lamp 84 disposed in the lighting circuit of the vehicle to act as a tail light and on its bottom side with a glass-covered opening 85 also illuminated by the lamp 84 to throw light on the license tag.

In order to provide for the operation of the armatures 37 and their coperating magnets 33 simultaneously with the operation of the signals the switch lever 42 is provided with a transverse contact bar 86 having its ends turned downwardly and forming contact points 87 and 88 positioned normally clear of any contact on the plate 43 as shown in Fig. 10, but which, when the switch is moved either to the right or left, will make contact with segments 89 and 90 or 91 and 92, as the case may be, these segments being placed in the plate 43 between the outer and inner segments 47 and 5l and 48 and 50, as shown in Fig. 5, and from which segments wires 93 and 94, shown in Fig. 3, are led to the magnet 33, the segments being of course suitably connected to the battery 74.

The signaling horn of the vehicle is operated from the switch also and its operation is provided for by 'the mounting on the plate 43 of a contact segment 95 and connecting this segment and also the bolt 54 to the battery and horn circuit by suitable wires, indicated at 96 and 97 in Fig. 6, the circuit being closed to sound the horn 105 by the manual depression of a button contact 98 resiliently secured to the switch lever, the release of the contact 98 permitting it to spring up to its normal position clear of the segment 95 and thus break the horn circuit. The button contact 98 also acts as a handle for operating the switch lever 42, as the depression plate 99 which carries the contact has its sides turned down so as to engage the sides of the lever 42, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and enable it to be moved in the required direction.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have devised a vehicle signal which is at all times positive in action and operated with great convenience and facility; As many changes could be made in the construction described in the foregoing description within the scope of the 'following claim without departing from the spirit thereof.

TWhat we claim is:

In a device of the class described, a casing provided on either side with an indicator, a pinion Within said easing having its hub eX- tended as a tubular shaft adapted to be secured to the vehicle body and forming a rigid vertical axis on which said easing is rotatably mounted, a magnet mounted within and secured to said casing, an armature within the Casing rotatably mounted between the poles of the magnet and provided with a toothed sector meshing with said pinion7 a normally denergized magnet mounted on the iirst mentioned one, a hinged vertically movable armature disposed adjacent a pole of the last mentioned magnet and having its free end turned downwardly and extending through the casing, a member having a socket in which the free end of the vertically movable armature is normally engaged, and means for temporarily magnetizing the first mentioned armature and simultaneously energizing the last mentioned magnet.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 10th day of May, A. D. 1919.

WILLIAM EDWARD F. GIBSON. IDA MAY JAMES. 

